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Topic: Marriage and non-Christians (Read 681 times)

I have been informed by several Orthodox persons (including priests) that, in America, an Orthodox Christian can marry a non-Orthodox Christian, but that it is not allowed that an Orthodox marry a non-Christian.

Several questions:1) In areas where Christianity is the minority (e.g. many countries in the Middle East), are Orthodox Christians allowed to marry persons who are Muslims? Hindus? Buddhist?2) In the case where an Orthodox Christian elopes with a non-Christian (without the Church's blessing), and then has children, and in all externals is parent in a family, how does the Orthodox Church deal with this situation? Would the Orthodox Christian be excommunicated until the "marriage" is dissolved and the Orthodox Christian confesses? Or would the Orthodox Christian be allowed to confess, return to communion, and yet remain "married"?